Our Past Is Present September 17, 2018

September 17, 2018

            

This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            We want to remind you that if you miss any of our stories on “Our Past Is Present”, you can go to our blogspot and read them at your convenience.  Just go to gearyhistory.blogspot.com.  If you just want to hear the stories we have had on this program about the history of the Opera House, you can go to C. L. Hoover Opera House website, click on “Our Past Is Present” and listen to topic of your interest.  We want to thank KJCK, Platinum Broadcasting and the Opera House for providing that space. 

            Well… there were some interesting headlines and stories in “The Republican” newspaper in October of 1917.  We thought you might be interested in hearing about two of those this morning.  One of the stories was really appropriate for us in recent weeks with all of the rain we had in this area.  The title of the article was “The Roads To Camp Funston”. (The reference was of course about Camp Funston on Fort Riley).  The story was that “The writer took a drive down through Funston Friday and the flats were still under water in many places as the result of the heavy rains of Tuesday last week and the insufficient drainage facilities.  Cars were stuck in the mud in many parts of the camp. The new rock road at that time did not come within a mile of the camp proper and the dirt road was about as mean driving as could be imagined.  The new road is being rushed to completion and a start is already made toward doubling the width of the road to accommodate the immense amount of traffic.  Drainage conditions are being looked after as fast as possible also.”  

            In another story about Camp Funston, the title of the article was “Over Hundred New Buildings”.  The author wrote that “Late last week Captain F.G. Herman of Fort Riley received authorization for the construction of over one hundred additional buildings as added barracks and auxiliary building of various sorts to Funston and to include a general cantonment hospital sufficient to care for 3% of the total strength of the command in camp at one time.  The work will be done under the direction of the Fuller Construction Company, which has done the work on the whole cantonment for the government and commences at once.

            We'd have to assume area would have had to dry out before construction could be done on those one hundred buildings at Camp Funston.

            Well, thanks again for reading “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.